Sydney - I want to go Back !
 Feb 20th, 2004
Advantages:
Excellent City, Clean streets, Great Transport, Loads to do
Disadvantages:
Changable and Blustery in Winter, A Bit too far from Ireland
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly
more
  shanemcdonald
About me:
Irish Software Engineer / Web Developer ( http://www.zephyr-ireland.com ) with over 10 years IT / In...
Member since:20.02.2004
Reviews:11
Members who trust:3
Review rated by 13 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
I stayed in Sydney for over 10 months in 2003 and the hardest thing I had to do was to leave the place. Sydney is an amazing city, with so much to do you will never get bored. From the Harbour area to the beaches of Bondi - theres something for everyone. When we arrived we did the usual tourist trips, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Trips on the Harbour Ferries, Centrepoint Tower but as time went on we found a hidden Sydney. These are areas or items in Sydney which are not on the usual tourist trail. Places like Suzannah Place in the Rocks which documents early life around 1830, and how the working classes lived. It is a living museum. Other areas of interest included Balmain, Manly, Paddington and Potts Point.
We were lucky enough to be there for the New Years Eve fireworks and they are as amazing as people say. However if you are attending the fireworks you need to get a good spot early on in the day. We had to be at Farm Cove around 5pm to get a good view. Eating Out in Sydney is cheap compared to Irish prices. There are some great restaurants such as City Extra at Circular Quays, open 24 hours and items from a cup of coffee to a full meal with desserts. Venice Beach on Kellet St., Darlinghurst combines Asian cuisine with Australian and Mike the chef will tantalize your tastebuds with his various menu items.
Transport in Sydney is very efficient and very cheap also. Busses, trains and ferries combine and you can usually get from Kings Cross to North Sydney in about 20-25 minutes - it can take a bit more in rush hour but if you know your train times you can do your best to avoid these rushes. I have listed the Top 10 Things we did in Sydney, along with some details. These are listed in order of preference :
1) Helicopter Trip Over Sydney
Cloud 9 Helicopters, Hangar 520, Tower Road, Bankstown Airport, Bankstown
(02) 9771 3654
Cost $600 for 2 persons and period of one hour. 2) Sydney Aquarium
Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour, Sydney
(02) 9262 2300
Cost about $12 per person - look out for vouchers in Backpacker guides and City Guides
3) Sydney Opera House Tour
Sydney Opera House, Bennellong Point, Sydney
(02) 9250 7777
Costs about $15 per person and lasts one hour. 4) Blue Mountains Wilderness Tour
The A4 Tour Departs from the McDonalds at Circular Quays at 8:20am., Sydney
Call (02) 9637 4466 for details
Costs about $85 and lasts all day.
5) Chinese Gardens
Located near Darling Harbour, Sydney
(02) 9281 6863
The Chinese Gardens of Friendship are one of only a few gardens outside China. Only costs $4 to get in and you can stay as long as you want. 6) Captain Cook Cruises
No.6 Jetty, Circular Quay, Sydney
(02) 9206 1111
This guided tour around the harbour has refreshments and is reasonably priced. Commentary provided. Great way to get good photos.
7) Taronga Zoo
Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman
(02) 9969 2777
Excellent Location overlooking the harbour. Just over $20 entrance fee. 8) Sydney Observatory
Watson Rd, Millers Point, The Rocks, Sydney
(02) 9217 0485
This Historical Observatory was a key to shipping in the local area and day and night tours are available. We went to both tours and found both to be well run.
9) AMP Centrepoint Tower
100 Market St, Sydney, Sydney
(02) 9223 0933
Overlooking all of Sydney from a height of 350m it is the tallest observation desk in the southern hemisphere. Again, a great way to get good photos. 10) Star City Casino
80 Pyrmont St., Pyrmont, Sydney
(02) 9777 9000
Try your luck in the Casino or you can get a very good meal at Star City.
Overall Sydney is a great city, one I hope to revisit over and over again. I have never visited a place I wanted to live in, but Sydney is an exception. It is a very liveable city with a great emphasis on entertainment, living, the family and providing free events during the year.
Pictures of Sydney (Australia)
Read more on this product
Related tags for Sydney (Australia)
|
|
11.03.2004 00:46
Looks and sounds awsome, I have never been there but it is somewhere on my wish list, loved the photos.......Heatherx
25.02.2004 22:02
I love the city and the amazing food found everywhere.
21.02.2004 13:57
It sounds great! I wanna go now!